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[Alfa Racer]

Front OS strut is now off and the upper retainer is in quite poor condition, I've only just taken it apart so photo's will have to wait until tomorrow but the upper retainer is heavily rusted, I would estimate its lost a 3rd of the metal thickness is not half.

I'll speak with the Alfashop guys tomorrow to see if they have new ones but my guess is no.

Anyway the springs actually are the least corroded bit, I can't tell if they are OEM but they are the same height as the 35mm lowered OMP replacements I have bought so either the aren't or they've compressed with age. They certainly feel weaker than the new OMP springs as I can compress them with hand strength a bit where the OMP's are rock hard.

The shock absorber seems in poor condition as well, the piston just sinks into the body of the shock with no force require and is just as easily pulled back up, I know hydraulics behave differently under quick force but this one seems shot, it offers virtually no resistance. Trouble is my 33 has a 3 bolt strut and those bits aren't as easy to come by as the 4 bolt ones!

[bobbber]

Availability of 3 bolt struts is bad Arthur.

[Alfa Racer]

I'm sure everyone will appreciate the small distraction of trying to spot what is missing in this picture, no doubt it won't take you eagle eyes very long.

Real question is how important is it?

[BigAl]

Bonnet he he.
No air filter
If you don't mind stripping down your engine, honing bores and replacing piston rings then it’s not important
_________________
x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

[Alfa Racer]

[RFlower]

Our Imola came with a Greeen filter, similar to the K&N ones.
http://www.greenfilters.com/

I don't care for the noise it makes, although I suppose some may like it

Mine is not like the pictures on the Green site. It is cone shaped and has the element inside a naff black plastic housing made to look like carbon fibre laminate. In the same class as headlight eyebrows and Alfa logo valve caps

The Trofeo has the correct filter, same element as the Sprint.

Green, and I believe K&N also make elements for the standard filter.
_________________
Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

[Alfa Racer]

[BigAl]

Rflower
This is probably a cda / bmc air filter http://www.bmcairfilters.com/infoCDA.asp
and is one of the better / more expensive ones.
It works like an original, as in it encloses the filter and stops hot air getting in = more power.

Alfa Racer
There are 2 schools of thought on this subject
1 original air box with panel filter = cool air = more power
2 cone filter = air in engine bay getting sucked in = warm air = loss of power.

The one Rflower has a cone filter inside. If you are going to be racing and not sitting still and getting engine heat soak you should be ok.
The size of the filter shouldn't matter, as in 8v or 16v, the filters are designed to flow a certain amount of air = a certain amount of BHP.
There are other things that can be done to help cool air intake, ram air, bonnet vents, having the rubber between the bonnet and engine bay removed and putting bonnet rests near the lock and moving the lock upwards, so the bonnet doesn't close, allowing air to escape out the top as you drive.

What are you planning to do?
_________________
x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

[BigAl]

http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=6258



If i could afford it i would get the cda one or a K&N panel filter and get a larger bore pipe to the front of the car.
_________________
x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

[Alfa Racer]

[Alfa Racer]

[RFlower]

[quote="Alfa Racer"]

[RFlower]

[Alfa Racer]

[bobbber]

Yeah... no airflow meter on the mp system. Instead it measures the drop in pressure in the intake manifold.

[Alfa Racer]

[quote="RFlower"]

[Alfa Racer]

[RFlower]

Hi Alfa Racer

There are plenty of 1.3/1.4's around in France, so there should be used 3-bolt struts and parts for them available.
Complete struts (amortisseurs) are available from www.oscaro.com
I can't tell from the site which are 3- or 4-bolt struts. The pairs of Koni units listed for 33 Type 907 1.7 ie are part number 86-2448 Sport. Maybe you could check elsewhere if this is correct for your car.
I'm not sure of the difference, if any, between the strut assemblies themselves for the different mount systems.
I have a spare car with 3-bolt struts, but if I remove the suspension I won't be able to move it any more!
The chassis is deformed slightly in 4 places due to skidding sideways over a kerb, everything else is perfect, but not worth repairing.

Dick

EDIT: Koni P/No 86-2448 Sport is listed for my 1.7 ie, which has 4-bolt strut mountings, and also for my 1.3/1.4 ie's which have 3-bolt mountings.
I don't know whether this is because the struts themselves are the same for both, with different mounting methods, or if Oscaro's site is wrong (wouldn't be the first time).
_________________
Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

[Alfa Racer]

[Alfa Racer]

[RFlower]

Hi Arthur,
If you send me a land line phone number by PM I'll give you a ring later (I have free calls to land lines), if you tell me a suitable time in an hour or two.
The Koni pair on Oscaro site is just the shock assembly, no springs or mountings.
I'm going check drawings to see what the differences are in the actual shock assembly when I have finished a job I’m doing.
I have both types on cars I have here, but it's too difficult to see under the front wing, and I have not removed the struts on either of the 1.4’s.
I do know the support bearing is at the top on the 3-bolt type, so the whole assembly, with the spring, turns, whereas on the 4-bolt type the bearing is under the lower spring pan and only the shock turns, within the spring, which is fixed.
I just looked again at the Oscaro site. For the single units, left or right, the Sachs front right (Part No 170 477) says “from 02/93” and the Gabriel front right (Part No G35161) says “up to 01/1993”.
So I’m pretty sure that the design change was Feb 1993, so that the Sachs is for 3-bolt mounting.
I called Oscaro, the correct Koni front set for my 3-bolt cars is Koni 862417, (from chassis number 525**** on for 1.4’s), I can check by your 1.7 chassis number, but it may not be listed in France. That is a 3-bolt mounting assemble and they are all the same. Price is 281.97 Euros the pair. They should be the ones you need.
I have also decided that I could sell the complete strut assemblies with springs and top mountings etc. plus anything else you want from my busted Imola (Sporty Green air filter?).
The Imola has 82,000 miles on it, the front shocks are OK, the gaiters have splits and need replacing,.
I also have some lowered springs I removed from my 1.7 when I replaced them with originals.
I realised I can still move the car around with the front suspension removed by using my 5 ton hydraulic lift pallet trolley under the front end. (I keep meaning to get a trolley jack!)

Dick
_________________
Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

[Alfa Racer]

With the strut out of the way (and currently languishing at Alfaman for lack of parts), I'm tidying up the rust before it gets serious enough to do some real damage.

The car no longer has it's wheel arch liners, again to save weight so it's easy to see what's going on. I've noticed that mastic appears to have been liberally applied over the seams and then spray painted. This mastic is a magnet for mosture and if there is rust anywhere it's likely to be under the mastic so I'm having to peel that off to clean up the rust, pain because it isn't the easiest stuff to come off, but if I don't do something about it now I won't have a car left!

[Alfa Racer]

Here's a closeup of the engine bay following the discussion about air filters, I've got a suspision that the one in this car was removed because it was fouling the oil cooler, but I can't say for sure.


If it does fit it should receive cool air because the bonnet has an air intake just over the spot and the leading edge has also has cutouts to let additional cool air in. It's not pretty but it is lightweight, once everything is all back together and running I'll probably have it painted.

[RFlower]

Arthur:

Pic of the Green filter in my Imola.


It is a push fit over the original plastic inlet pipe, sealed with a smear of mastic. Its support bracket is clamped to the black tube with 2 hose clamps.

You could probably find a different position if your oil cooler is in the way.

As you said, your cooler is taking the place of the original filter box.

Incidentally, in your photo it looks like there is a hose connected to the black plastic air inlet pipe? The only connection on mine is the cable for the air flow sensor, just visible on the RHS of the picture.
_________________
Dick Flower, Nr. Carcassonne. '94 Trofeo 1.4 ie (F), '93 Imola 1.3/1.4 ie (now for breaking) (F), '91 1.7 ie (GB)(spare car), '86 Sprint 1.5 QV (F). '87 VW Syncro camper (F), '73 NSU Ro80 (F), '99 Fiat Seicento (F)

[Alfa Racer]